


VMV Short Stories

by FaeMytho



Category: Original Work, Vampire-Mythoverse
Genre: Angels, Character Study, Class Differences, Demons, Fluff, Genetic Ranking System, Hurt/Comfort, Non-Canon Relationship(s) - Freeform, Nonbinary Character(s), Other, Religious Cults, Will add tags as I go, Worldbuilding, i literally have no other idea how to describe the demons' ranks at this point ngl, the angels' ranks are too but theirs is different/little weird cuz angels dont reproduce, their ranks are genetic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:48:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25121920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaeMytho/pseuds/FaeMytho
Summary: Some short stories ranging from 400 words to up to 2000+, revolving around my original sandbox project, VMV (Vampire-Mythoverse), which I keep accidentally making characters for.Sometimes I write shippy stuff, sometimes I write some canon divergent timelines, and sometimes, I'll actually post something that Probably Happened In Canon.Most of these were written in the VMV discord, (or based on ideas from the VMV discord). I'll give context in the opening notes, don't worry.
Relationships: Adulationis (VMV)/Asmarath (VMV), Azodos/Nammon (VMV), Rafurael/Urelis (VMV)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	1. Azonam - Therapy Cat

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so, before you jump in, know this:
> 
> **_VMV was originally based on an UTMV au-verse, and as of April 2020, it is no longer connected to UTMV and is a fully original project._ **
> 
> VMV is an open sandbox fantasy world. It contains a huge number of different magical and non-magical species, a bunch of different places and countries with their own developed cultures, and three different worlds.
> 
> There's Angaea, world of the angels and the pure-hearted deceased. It's a pure white, peaceful paradise. For the deceased, that is.
> 
> There's Cirxia, world of the sin-demons and the rejected, impure deceased. Cirxia's got nine, layered circles, only seven of them occupied by demons, one for each of the sins.
> 
> And then there's Terra, which is basically Earth but fantasy-flavored. There are so many different species here. There are quite a few different countries here as well.
> 
> Hopefully it'll make more sense when you're reading about it ^^||
> 
> OH, LAST THING:
> 
> I'll be using the way they write years in VMV throughout this book.
> 
> A quick rundown of that: 5.0 is 5000 years, 5.1 is 5001 years, 5.60 is 5060 years, and 5.324 is 5324 years. the left of the dot is in thousands, while the right of the dot is always just the number of years that's written there.
> 
> Example: the current year, and the year I'll use for most of my VMV short stories in this book, is 10.42; which reads as 10,042. Hope that makes sense!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> work title: nammon gives azodos a nonbinary disabled cat and azodos cant handle it
> 
> the pairing isn't canon, but nammon giving azodos a cat is :3c
> 
> important things:
> 
> -Nammon and Azodos are demons; specifically, demon prinxes (gluttony and greed respectively)
> 
> -Nammon is 5'0". Azodos is 6'10". [Here's what that looks like.](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/567935021780959272/727547405628866570/SmartSelect_20200630-085444_Gallery.jpg) ((artist is [@gallifreyan-pal](https://gallifreyan-pal.tumblr.com/).))
> 
> -Azodos has been grieving for around 5000 years at this point.
> 
> -Azodos is autistic because I am autistic and I said so.
> 
> -Azodos is not male, but prefers he/him pronouns and presents as male.
> 
> -Nammon is nonbinary, they/them, and presents as fairly masculine
> 
> Word Count: 2,132

Azodos knew well enough that he was alone. The greed castle had been as close to empty as it possibly could have been for thousands of years. He rolled over in the too big, too empty bed, and stared at the empty space beside him. He hadn't even gotten up today, and it had been hours since he'd woken.

Sighing to himself, he simply stared at the ceiling, his gaze blank as he ran through everything he could think of to keep thoughts of his bondmate and his child away. He knew if he let himself think about them, he wouldn't stop crying for a while. So, he just wouldn't, and that was that.

He picked his head up at the knock on his door. What an unfamiliar sound. He hadn't heard it in years. It spoke of how unfamiliar it was when his first thought wasn't to go answer the door, or wonder who had broken into his castle, but to reminisce on sounds he had last heard in the 5.0s.

"Prince Azodos? Are you in there?" A voice called, and he frowned. It had been a while since he'd heard another voice too, now that he thought of it. Not as long, of course, but still a good while. He thought vaguely that he recognized it.

Finally pushing his thoughts aside, he sat up, swinging his feet off the bed. Too much effort went into lifting his wings and tail, so he simply let them drag behind him.

He opened the door, looking down to see who it was. He blinked once, then twice, and then dumbly said, "there's a creature clinging to your arm."

Prinxe Nammon blinked, looking down at their arms as though they hadn't noticed. "Well yes," they said, petting the lump of fur and holding it close to their chest. "They are a cat. May I come in?"

Stunned, as he usually was around the Prinxe of Gluttony, Azodos stepped aside. Prinxe Nammon stepped in, surveyed the room, and clicked their tongue in distaste. It was such a distinctly gluttony sound that Azodos forgot how to speak for a moment.

"Gods above, no offense Prince Azodos, but have you cleaned this place in the past thousand years?"

Their tone was joking, but Azodos cleared his throat and used his voice for what he knew was the first time in thousands of years. "No," he answered honestly, his voice soft and whispering with cracks of disuse. Prinxe Nammon's eyes widened, and they looked around the room once more.

"Well," they said awkwardly. "It still looks rather well kept for not being cleaned in so long."

Azodos stared at them, head tilted to the side. They were still petting that creature in their arms, and it was purring, a soft noise that Azodos hadn't heard in even longer.

"Why are you here?" He asked bluntly, in his neglected, wavering, quiet voice. It was extremely rude of him, throwing all formality out the window in the presence of another prinxe, but Nammon didn't seem to mind. Nothing seemed to put them off, and Azodos noted it with such a surprising touch of fondness that he almost missed the other prinxe's answer.

"I happened to catch a break," they spoke easily, and Azodos felt a pang of both envy and admiration at how smoothly they could speak without stuttering or freezing up. "One of my generals rescued this little thing during one of their Terra runs for supplies. None of us have the time to take care of them, and my general was rather insistent that we not take them back up to Terra, so we're not entirely sure what to do with them."

As they spoke, they looked pointedly down at the cat, who had closed their eyes and continued to purr away. Their fur was white and pale gold, and they looked so soft that Azodos felt almost compelled to reach out and touch them.

"So why are you here, again?" He asked warily, suppressing his urge and keeping his hands to himself. Nammon only smiled knowingly, the expression stretching across their face.

"I need a home for them, and I thought of you," they said, the dark magenta of their eyes sliding up to meet his golden ones.

Azodos frowned, glancing uncomfortably back down at the cat. They didn't _look_ like they could harm him. In fact, they looked very tame. His heart twisted in his chest.

"I don't know how to take care of... cats," he said softly, not daring to tear his gaze away from them. Nammon just chuckled, gently rubbing behind one of their ears.

"It's fairly easy, I can explain it. Besides, I think they might be able to help take care of you in return," Nammon said, and despite Azodos's confusion, he stepped closer to both prinxe and cat.

Silently, he reached out, and Nammon let him take the cat without any fuss. As he lifted the cat beneath their forearms, they went completely limp in his grip, giving a polite little meow, and something in Azodos gave way.

Before he knew it, he'd sunk to the ground, sniffling pitifully and trying not to cry. He knew he was fighting a losing battle, especially when the cat opened their eyes to reveal golden irises and pupils full of love.

Azodos gave a hiccuping sob, and the cat wiggled gently in his grip until he put them down. Immediately, they climbed to curl up in his lap, purring and nuzzling their face against his stomach, and another fresh wave of tears hit him. Dimly, he registered Prinxe Nammon kneeling down beside him and resting a hand on his shoulder.

Nammon didn't say a word until Azodos had calmed down, only watching with concern as he wiped messily at his eyes. He sniffled loudly, and Nammon took that as their cue to speak.

"Are you alright, Prince Azodos?" They asked in their crisp, clear gluttony accent, which was quickly and subconsciously rooting itself as one of Azodos's favorite sounds, and Azodos nodded silently, running a hand through the cat's fur. The cat continued purring, and he blinked his remaining tears down his cheeks.

"I'll take care of them," he whispered through a tear cracked sigh, and the cat nuzzled into him, mewing softly. Nammon gave him a smile, leaning over to look up at him.

"I'm glad," they said, and they certainly sounded glad, their smile wide and happy. "I know you'll give them a good home."

Azodos sniffled again, nodding gently as he looked over the cat once more. For the first time, he realized they were missing one of their hind legs, and one of their eyes was milky and clouded. The cat looked up at him and gave a happy sounding meow, and that was enough to send him spiraling again.

At least he managed to get through Nammon's explanations without bursting into tears.

-

Ever since Nammon had brought the cat into his life, Azodos was managing to get up every day, even if it was only to feed the cat and get right back in bed. Still though, it was nice to have someone to greet in the morning again, even if sometimes they would greet you first by jumping up in your bed and walking all over your face.

He had named the cat Jangle, simply because it was a nice word and he liked it. The cat seemed to agree at least, toddling after Azodos everywhere he went and demanding to be picked up every time he called for them.

Nammon seemed to find more and more time off, and though Azodos wondered _how_ , he didn't much care to ask why. It wasn't his business. Though, he did have to wonder why Nammon was spending their free time with _him_. The first time after they had dropped the cat off, they had seemed almost nervous about asking Azodos if they could spend a bit of time with him.

He'd said yes, of course, and the prinxe seemed to relax into their usual calm demeanor, but Azodos couldn't help but notice that particular thing. He was noticing a lot about the prinxe of gluttony lately, and he wasn't sure what that meant for him.

Nammon was here today as well, sitting on the floor of his bedroom and calmly playing with Jangle. Azodos watched fondly from where he lay on his stomach, resting his head on his arms and peering over the side of the bed.

"Prinxe Nammon?" He asked suddenly, the words slipping out. Nammon looked up, and Jangle pounced on their tail. As Nammon gave their attention to Azodos, Jangle gave a triumphant meow, and began to nibble on one of the ridges of Nammon's tail hollow.

"Yes, Prince Azodos?" Nammon answered, their eyes still twinkling with mirth from their play with the cat. "What is it?"

"I was wondering," he spoke slowly, scrambling for something to say, "why you thought of me when you needed a home for Jangle?"

"Oh, is that all? That's easy," Nammon gave a small laugh, and grinned at Azodos. "I knew you were a caring and kind person, despite how aloof you can be at times. I knew that if you decided to take them, then I could fully trust you to actually take care of them. And..." Their voice grew quieter, as though they weren't sure whether to say this next part or not. "I knew you needed someone. I thought that, maybe, if you had Jangle, they could help you."

Azodos's heart stuttered, and he stared at the prinxe, who wasn't quite meeting his eyes. He pulled himself up, rolling off the bed and coming to kneel in front of Nammon.

"And," he said, the words hard to form, though he had no idea why. "Why have you been spending so much time here? Don't... you have something to attend to in your circle?"

"A war, Prince Azodos," Nammon said softly, though there was only patience and fondness in their voice. They kept their gaze down, especially as Jangle toddled around to their front and scrambled up into their lap. They took a moment to answer Azodos's question, and when they did, their words came slow and measured. "And I confess, Prince Azodos, that I might have... wanted to be that someone as well. That someone that, perhaps, you could... rely on, that someone who could comfort you and hold you when you were upset. I knew Jangle had cheered you up; I'd never seen you so happy before, in all the years I've known you. And I... wanted to keep seeing that. Seeing you."

Azodos could feel his heart flutter in his chest. Nammon finally looked up, a hint of gluttony pink on their cheeks, and Azodos didn't quite remember leaning in, but he certainly remembered pulling away. His lips tingled from the brief touch, and his heart stuttered, and his hands were cupping the other prinxe's face so tenderly it was as though they belonged there. And wasn't that a funny thought?

Nammon blinked up at him in wide eyed surprise, their lips parted and their face flushed, and Azodos leaned in to kiss them again. And when they didn't pull away, and instead began to reciprocate, Azodos let himself relax.

Nammon's lips were soft. Nammon's hands were soft, as they came up to hold Azodos's in place against their cheeks. The quiet sigh they breathed out when Azodos pulled away and looked down at them was soft. And the way their eyes fluttered open, as though they couldn't believe what had just happened, was soft, as was the look of realized hope and happiness in their eyes.

"Prince Azodos?" They asked, their voice no louder than what a feather might sound like, if it could speak. Azodos shook his head, an unfamiliar heat rising to his cheeks. How funny. He hadn't felt that in a very long time either. Nammon was bringing back a lot of things he had almost forgotten he could experience.

"I'm not good at words," Azodos murmured, and Nammon let out a quiet laugh. They leaned up to nuzzle their nose against his in such a deliberate display of affection that it nearly had Azodos preening.

"Don't worry," Nammon said, laughing just a little bit. "I'm patient."

At that moment, an indignant meow came from below, and both prinxes looked down to see Jangle, still sprawled across Nammon's lap and begging for attention.

Azodos smiled, reaching down to gently rub behind their ears. He looked back up to see the gentle sparkle in Nammon's eyes, just in time for Jangle to give a lazy, loving meow. And for the first time in thousands of years, he didn't feel so alone anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Jangle is a ragdoll cat; [here's the kitty I based them on!](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/567935182523596800/727559599825223730/jangle.jpg) Instead of their eyes being blue though, they're more of a golden amber, because I couldn't resist giving them greed demon eyes
> 
> -Jangle is nonbinary because I could not decide if they were biologically male or female. Still don't know to this day and probably never will
> 
> -Nammon's general rescued jangle from a kitten mill on Terra. That's why they're missing one of their back legs and are blind in one eye
> 
> -Jangle is missing one leg and is half blind but fuck you they're fast as fuck
> 
> -Jangle likes to lay on Azodos's chest and whine directly into his face in the morning, forcing him to get up so he does not have to deal with ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ:depression:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧
> 
> -Azodos has tripped and accidentally destroyed several things around the greed castle while trying to avoid stepping on Jangle, because they like to weave between his legs and walk with him,,, becuz they lov e him,
> 
> -Jangle has a Jingle! Jingle was also rescued, but by a different person who lives on Terra. Jingle is in a better place now too, with ppl who love them, so don't worry
> 
> -This 2k monster came about because I kept whumping a different character and the regulars in the discord server were screaming at me to write some fluff so I did


	2. Khirik - A Better Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> work title: khirik punches someone for threatening his great great grandson
> 
> this is probably canon, ngl
> 
> important things:
> 
> -Khirik is a wrath demon general. ((you're born into this status; demons have definitive features to tell classes apart)).
> 
> -This takes place between the years 9.934 and 9.939 in VMV, since the latter is when Khirik dies, and the former is when the new wrath prince (Sakareth) is appointed.
> 
> -Sakareth, who's mentioned here, is between 16-21 years old. At this time, he's very young by demon standards. In the present, he's still pretty young, but at least he's got a century on him.
> 
> -The two common demons mentioned here are unnamed and unimportant.
> 
> -[Here's what Khirik looks like](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/649011646169350144/745850827578671208/281197_khirik.png), (he's actually got freckles too), and [here's](https://picrew.me/image_maker/281197) the picrew I used, since I cannot draw. It's actually being deleted later this month, so check it while you can! It's honestly an amazing picrew, and I'm gonna miss it when it's gone. Y'all better respect artists or I'll eat you.
> 
> Word Count: 875

Heels clicked against burnt looking stone, a wrath tipped tail swept lowly over the ground, and the general it belonged to made his way down the same street he had for the past thousands of years. He hadn't been a general in the prinxe's favor for about as long.

He glanced over at the wrath castle as he walked. On this particular commute, it was easily visible over the other buildings in wrath. He clicked his tongue in distaste, and turned his face forward to continue on his way.

The street wasn't busy today, a pleasant surprise from its usual bustle of wrath demons going about their businesses. Perhaps there had been a spontaneous Market Day. He wasn't quite sure, but it didn't concern him, so he wouldn't waste the time wondering.

Though it was less busy than usual, there were still a few wrath demons walking about, commons, a few generals on their way to jobs. Some of them were chatting as they talked. Others walked alone. Khirik, as he was called, was one of the latter.

Though, even as he walked alone, he couldn't help but overhear the conversations he passed by. One general was worried about passing through Envy. A common was excited for their first trip up to Terra, despite the fear in their voice as they spoke.

"Fuckin' bastard. Th' hell does that brat think he is?"

"Piss poor excuse for a prince. Got no Eos damned idea what he's doing."

"Startin' to think we'd actually be better off just starting with a new one."

"If someone held the little bastard down, we _could_ , y'know."

The click of Khirik's heels came to a stop. The pair of commons passing him by paid no attention to him. They simply continued talking, idly, about how they'd like to kill the prince. Khirik's prince. _Their_ prince.

His arms dropped from where they were folded behind his back, gloved hands clenching into enraged fists. He could feel the familiar creep and prowl of wrath overcome him, and he welcomed it. How _dare_ they?

The click of his heels began again as he turned and made his way towards them. He hardly heard it, focused on approaching the two commons. One of them was still talking; the one who had made the comment about holding the prince down. Rage pooled through him as though a dam had burst, seething, burning, frothing.

Khirik rested a hand on their shoulder, yanked them around, and punched them across the face.

There was a satisfying crack beneath his fist, and the demon stumbled to the ground and dropped like a ragdoll. They gave an indignant, pained shout, holding their face and staring up at him with all the fury of Sathanas. He met their glare with an equal heat, bringing his hand up to examine it. A thrill of wrath-fueled delight shuddered through him at the sudden fear on their face, their eyes flicking between him and his wings.

"Disappointing. You got my glove dirty," he remarked in disdain, examining the black fabric. It had been splattered with wrath red blood, and though it was hardly noticeable, he still didn't want the blood of a dirty, traitorous common staining his good clothing.

"G-General," the common he'd punched stammered. The other common was inching away, attempting to run. Khirik turned his gaze on them, fury burning in his blood.

"Interesting," Khirik breathed. Keeping his gaze on the other common, he squatted down to the height of the demon he'd punched. "Interesting that you would give me respect when neither of you seem to have any for our prince."

The demon who was subtly attempting to run gave an indignant sputter. Khirik narrowed his eyes at them, before reaching out to grip the chin of the demon on the ground. They whimpered in his grip, and he resisted the urge to tighten it, to dig his claws in. Red, ruby wrath blood was already dribbling down from their nose. He stilled his grip, purely for not wanting any more blood on his gloves.

"You're quite lucky all you got was a punch," he said to them flatly. They nodded without waiting for him to finish, and he hissed softly at them, drawing yet another whimper. "If I catch you saying such disgusting and traitorous things about Prince Sakareth again, Eos help you, you'll be _begging_ me to punch you."

The common demon nodded again, fear in their eyes. He glanced up at their friend, who stopped a few paces away from where they had just been.

"Get out of my sight," he scoffed, shoving the demon he was holding away by the chin and releasing his grip so that they fell back. The common beneath him nodded rapidly and crawled away, stumbling to their feet and scampering off around the corner with the other one.

Khirik stood, adjusting one of the cuffs on his shirt. He peeled off the bloodied glove and gave it a disappointed tsk, clenching it in the now bare hand it once covered. Pale scars lacerated the skin, though Khirik hardly seemed to mind them.

Without another word, not even to himself, he turned and continued on his way, heels clicking against burnt looking stone once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Prince Sakareth, even so young, often received death threats and... other unsavory threats throughout his early years, because of the way he ascended the Wrath Throne.
> 
> -Khirik is Sakareth's great great grandfather. Since demons are basically ageless, he's definitely still up and kicking by the time this particular story happens.
> 
> -Sathanas was the very first wrath prince. He's only mentioned here, and he died long ago, but he and Khirik were the equivalent of married in Cirxian culture.
> 
> -Eos is also mentioned here; Eos the Many-Handed, God of Sacrifice, is the creator deity of Cirxia. It is considered blasphemous by many of the older demons to cuss by its name, and it's usually referred to as "The Many-Handed" among the older demons. Khirik is one of those older demons; for him, taking the name of Eos in vain is one of the most powerful ways of displaying his sheer fucking anger.
> 
> -Khirik dies during an event called The Massacre of Sins. He was far from the only one who died there; the Wrath circle had casualties ranging in the millions.


	3. Rafurelis - I Wish I Could Love You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> work title: secret kisses
> 
> this pairing is actually canon!
> 
> important things:
> 
> - **Angaea is a CULT and is written like one. Proceed with caution.**
> 
> -Rafurael and Urelis are two of the High Seraphims that oversee Angaea. They are powerful, but not the most powerful.
> 
> -In Angaea, angels aren't allowed to use binary pronouns, as the Highest Seraphim doesn't want them getting close to the idea of "being a Terran" or "being a part of Terra". Angels are led to believe that binary pronouns are wrong and sinful for angels to use, and so instead use non-binary ones to refer to themselves.  
> \----this was me taking the whole "angels are nonbinary" thing that was implied to be in the christian bible and turning it on its head. its also a pretty nasty, yet effective way of policing their identities. angaea is not a good place to be.
> 
> -Urelis uses they/them pronouns. Rafurael uses ae/aer pronouns. Both of them genuinely do identify as nonbinary.
> 
> -Rafurael ([ref](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/649011646169350144/714983433188802560/41329_rafurael.png)) is 5'5". Urelis ([ref](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/649011646169350144/714983313592418355/41329_urelis.png)) is 4'8". Both of them are 10,042 years old. ([here's the picrew i used](https://picrew.me/image_maker/41329/)) since once again, i cannot draw qwq
> 
> Word Count: 812

The halls of the plane of Angaea were bright. They shimmered with holiness, with pure white purity and strength of unity. They were never completely silent, the soft murmuring of seraphs to their teams as they set out to do their jobs and the quiet rustling of feathers as wings flexed and readjusted themselves echoing through the halls.

The high seraphim of trial made aer way across the lobby of their great plane with ease. With aer six wings held high and aer arms crossed behind aer back, nobody would question where ae were going. And ae would keep it that way, as ae spoke to no one on aer journey.

Not a single angel thought to question aer. Not one of the hundreds in the lobby of Angaea bat an eye as Rafurael entered the mercy wing. Aer face was set, aer mask empty and blank, only the faint joy expected of being an angel on aer face.

Urelis was where they always were when Rafurael thought to come visit. Not that anyone had noticed that Rafurael visited often. The seraphim of Angaea were not to be questioned by the lower angels, of course, and so everything a seraphim did was normal behavior, important, but unimportant. So, nobody paid Rafurael any attention as ae made aer way over to the seraphim of mercy.

"Seraphim Urelis," ae spoke, aer right arm held across aer chest to aer left shoulder. Ae bowed, aer purple tinted wings spread just enough to show proper angaeic respect to another angel of aer rank. "Might we speak? There is something we must discuss."

Urelis looked up at aer, their eyes cracked just slightly open to see who had addressed them. It was so slight that unless one knew to look for it, they would miss it entirely, but when Urelis recognized Rafurael, the corners of their mouth twitched up.

"Certainly, Seraphim Rafurael," they responded, their voice soft and light, and their face a blank mask of faint, but inherent, angelic joy expected of each angel. They stood from their seat, and the seraphs in the room immediately lined up and filed out. They needed no prompting; the matters of the seraphim were for seraphim ears only.

Once the room was vacant and the chamber doors shut so that none could see or hear, Urelis stepped forward into Rafurael's embrace. They wrapped their arms around aer, and ae held them close, tucking their head into the crook of aer neck.

"I've missed you," Rafurael dared to whisper out loud, and Urelis huddled closer, leaving a hesitant, shy kiss on the side of aer neck. "I've missed you much more than you can ever imagine."

"And I you as well," Urelis whispered, looking up at Rafurael. They lifted a hand, cupping the other seraphim's cheek, and leaned up, gently pressing their mouth to aers.

Though the kiss was chaste, Rafurael knew it had kicked up familiar feelings of guilt in each of them, fear twisting them from the inside and stilling their hearts. Ae pulled away not long after, and purple eyes met soft white ones.

"Is it so much to wish," Urelis murmured, guilt shining in their eyes, "that I could love you without fearing what will happen to us if I do?"

"No," Rafurael whispered, with such force that it surprised them both. Ae spoke again, aer voice softer. "No, my love, it is not."

"Then," Urelis spoke slowly, low and quiet, "I wish I could love you without feeling as though I am betraying our God. I long so much to spend my time with you, to see you every second that I am able, to be with you without fear or worry that we are betraying Angaea."

Rafurael's heart stuttered in aer chest. Aer mind screamed at the words, shouting that their words were blasphemous, that Urelis was in dire need of correction. That if ae truly loved them, ae would turn them in to the prophet angels right then and there so the prophets could set them straight.

"I wish as well," Rafurael whispered, aer voice hollow and choked up. It became hard to speak, and ae silenced aer thoughts as Urelis wiped aer tears away. Ae let aer heart speak, instead. "I long to kiss you, to be with you. I care no longer for Angaea if it would not allow me to be with you."

Urelis' pale white eyes filled with shock, and Rafurael felt fear fill aer again as aer own words caught up to aer mind. They _both_ should visit the prophets, they _both_ were in dire need of correction, how could ae even _think_ to leave Angaea behind like that-

But then, Urelis was kissing aer again, and ae let aer eyes fall shut, aer mind go silent. If Urelis felt the same, then that was all ae needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Romance, sex, and relationships in general are all very much not allowed in Angaea. What Rafurael and Urelis are doing here would get them both punished and/or felled from Angaea if they were caught.
> 
> -Since angels are meant to turn in other angels they catch breaking the rules, both Rafurael and Urelis always struggle with that indoctrinated behavior every time they meet up. They always manage to get past it.
> 
> -This was actually a Good Things Happen Bingo request over on my tumblr, and I adored the way it came out.


	4. Adusma - Hustle Hustle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> work title: adu meets the lust hustlers
> 
> this also probably happened in canon, but the pairing is _not_ canon. everyone's just a little bit gay for asmarath bc lets be honest,,,,,,,,
> 
> important things:
> 
> -If you remember the beginning notes for Chapter 2, you'll remember that demons are born into definitive, genetic classes; with certain features to tell said classes apart. There are three classes, from lowest to highest, common demons (1 set of wings/horns), demon generals (2 sets of wings/horns), and demon prinxes (3 sets of wings/horns). Not to be confused with sin-types.
> 
> -Demons aren't born with their demonic features (wings/horns/tail). Those grow in when the demon is around 10-14 years old (yes, it's like a puberty thing). That means until that age range, a demon kid's class is completely obscured - but meeting a kid's parents is a good way to tell what class they'll be, since classes are genetically passed down. Common demons have common kids, demon generals have generals, prinxes have prinxes. There's a specific way the genes interact with each other (such as when a general and a common have a kid) but I'll save that for another fic.
> 
> -Instead of like the other chapters, character information is in the end notes! I highly recommend you read the fic before you check that out.
> 
> -This fic was actually originally just 700 words. I found it again the other day, decided to edit it a bit, and picked up a couple thousand words in the process.
> 
> Word Count: 2,159

The Lust Circle was busy as he made his way through it. He'd never been to the Lust Circle before, but he'd heard stories. He just hadn't realized how… crowded it would be.

"Hey, you," a voice called out, and he hurried his pace, pulling his hood further down his face. Unconsciously, his tail wrapped itself around his leg. When a hand landed on his shoulder, he clenched his eyes shut as he was pulled to a stop.

Someone leaned over his shoulder, peering up at him. He cracked an eye open to see a freckled face, a swoof of bright orange hair styled across their forehead, and light purple eyes staring into his own. The face grinned, and he grabbed the strap of his bag to ground himself. Shrugging the hand off his shoulder, he stepped away from them and continued walking.

"Aw, hey wait, you're cute," the demon whined, rushing around to stand in front of him. While the comment brought heat to his cheeks, he didn't stop walking. Just when he was about to run into the other demom, they started walking backwards in front of him. "Not even interested in talking, huh? I'm just not cute enough, is that it?"

He lifted his eyes and let them dart around the streets of the Lust Circle, staunchly ignoring the demon in front of him. Maybe if he ran off and took a couple turns, he could lose-

"Okay so, you're obviously not interested at all," the demon interrupted his thoughts, now looking sheepish. He raised a brow and stopped walking. They seemed to perk up a bit at that. "You seem nice though, so… At least tell me your name?"

He sighed, meeting their eyes with an unimpressed look. They smiled hopefully at him, waiting for an answer. He had to admit, they  _ were _ cute, but he had somewhere to be, and he was trying to not get caught. Or recognized.

"It's really none of your business," he finally spoke up, his voice as flat as he could make it with denial. When the lust demon in front of him didn't look the slightest bit fazed, he narrowed his eyes, hefting his bag up on his shoulder. Now they just looked curious, their tail flicking behind them.

"That's a weird name," they mused, and grinned when he gave an annoyed huff. They cocked their hip out a little bit, resting a hand on it and blatantly looking him over. "First time in the Lust Circle? I can tell. Why are you here? Seeing someone?"

He resisted the urge to give another sigh, taking a step forward with every intention of continuing on his way. He would run if need be. But then something clinked beside him, and he whirled around, grabbing at the bag looped over his shoulder and freezing with cold dread.

"Oh my fucking Gods, Rerren, look at this," another common lust demon spoke in shock, familiar golden metal dangling from the thin fingers on both her hands. She was holding his pendant, the very thing that marked him a prince for his lack of prinxely features. He'd taken it off and stowed it away in the now empty bag. It had been an attempt to hide who he was. It wasn't the best thing he could have done to hide it, in hindsight, but he hadn't expected to run into hustlers.

"Oh shit? Marni, is that what I think it is?" The demon who'd been talking to him, Rerren, stepped forward, breezing past him. All interest in him lost, they leaned an arm on the other demon's shoulder and looked over his pendant. He was frozen stiff, unsure what to do.

"Doesn't feel fake, so it better be," Marni spoke, painted black lips curling up in excitement. She twisted the pendant in her fingers, listening with the utmost glee on her face as it clinked in her hands. The two lust demons looked up at him, one with calculating apprehension, and the other with lilting, lustful hunger. He took a step back.

"So who does that make you, huh?" Rerren purred, looking him up and down again. "You don't look like a prince, but I hear the pride circle's been going through some rough times. One of us commons' on the throne, I've heard. Prince Adulationis, right?"

He said nothing, simply staring at his pendant with open dread and trying to figure out how he could get it back. He didn't want to have to fight, but he doubted these two would just hand it over if he asked.

"What's going on here? Everything okay?" A familiar voice interrupted his train of thought, and he was surprised to see the two lust demons go pale in front of him. He turned his head and his heart leapt into his throat.

Prinxe Asmarath stood there, raising a brow at the pendant clasped in Marni's fingers. At their surprised stare, she thrust her arm out towards him, and he wasted no time in taking his pendant back.

"Sorry, sorry, we had no idea, we'll leave now!" Rerren blurted out, tugging Marni away and disappearing around a corner.

He clipped the pendant back on as soon as it was in his hands again, sighing at the familiar weight against his chest. He was never taking the damn thing off again. That had been too close for comfort.

"… Prince Adulationis? Is that you?" Prinxe Asmarath asked, leaning down in an attempt to see under his hood. He sighed, meeting the other prinxe's curious gaze.

"Yeah," he muttered. "Yeah it's me. Um, thank you for that. I wasn't sure if they were going to give it back. I was kinda starting to think I'd just lost the pendant."

Asmarath looked at him, their eyes soft and concerned. Adulationis shifted, tugging the empty bag on his shoulder a little closer. The streets of the Lust Circle continued their bustling activity, and Adulationis let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"I'm happy I got to you when I did, then," Asmarath spoke slowly. "But why did you come visit? Everything alright in the Pride Circle?"

"Oh, um, yes. Everything's fine. I just… needed to get away for a while." He lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck, his tail uncoiling itself from his leg as he let out a deep sigh. "The generals are basically running the circle for me anyways, since I don't know the first thing about how to do… any of that kind of stuff. I was just hoping that… Maybe I could…" He trailed off, an orange flush coloring his warm brown cheeks as he pointedly avoided Asmarath's gaze. "Maybe I could just hang out with you here? If that's okay?"

Asmarath blinked, before smiling and offering Adulationis their arm. He startled, staring at the offered arm. He hadn't expected Asmarath to agree, so he gave the other prinxe a grateful smile and linked his arm in theirs.

"You absolutely can just hang out with me," Asmarath answered out loud, grinning down at him and starting off towards the Lust Castle. "It's not often I get to spend time with another prinxe."

"Ah, I'm not  _ really _ a prince," Adulationis murmured softly, walking stiffly alongside Asmarath. "I'm just the common who inherited that power."

Asmarath shook their head. "Just because you weren't born a prinxe doesn't mean you aren't one," they answered him. He was shocked to find them completely serious. "You weren't born a prinxe, but you  _ were _ chosen to be one. I'd say that actually makes you a better prinxe than anyone else."

Adulationis stayed silent, looking down at the ground as they walked and sneaking glances up at the other prinxe when he thought they weren't looking. He could feel Asmarath's eyes on him, and after a moment of silence between them, the Prinxe of Lust gave a sigh, drawing Adulationis' eyes up to them. They looked around, before gently steering Adulationis into an alleyway.

Once they were out of the busy streets, Asmarath reached for his hood and pulled it down. Almost instinctively, he reached for the hood to pull it back up.

"Listen," they spoke, reaching to tilt his face up with a hand under his chin before he could lift his hood back up. He froze, flushed dark orange, but lifted his eyes to meet the Prinxe of Lust's gaze. It was surprisingly serious. "I grew up a common demon too."

At Adulationis' surprised, confused blink, they laughed, a small little grin on their face. "No, really. I mean I don't really hide it. I can't imagine you've heard any other lust accents, but mine is lust common. Lowest of the low." 

He could hardly believe what he was hearing. But Asmarath looked completely serious.

"I was born a prinxe, but of course nobody knew that until my features grew in. Cirx, my own mama didn't even know."

Something in the alleyway clattered behind Adulationis, and Asmarath looked up. Adulationis didn't, not wanting to lose the warmth of Asmarath's hand holding his face. After a moment, the Prinxe of Lust sighed and returned their attention to Adulationis.

"I grew up on the very outskirts of the Lust Circle. The slums. When I was younger, before I knew who I was, I figured I was going to be a scavenger when my features grew in. 'Cause at least then, I'd be helping other people, y'know? But before my features, I was a thief. I had to be, if my mama and I were going to get the things we needed."

The look in Asmarath's eyes was gentle, odd, haunted. Adulationis couldn't find it in himself to look away, enraptured by the way Asmarath told their story.

"Then, I got my wings, my horns, my tail. And when I realized what the three sets meant, why I was different than the people I grew up around, everything changed. But just because I knew I was born a prinxe now, that didn't just suddenly erase the fact that I grew up a common. I grew up struggling. Because of that, I knew what needed to be fixed, I learned how to do it, and I did it as the new Lust Prinxe. And you, Prince Adulationis, have that power now. You  _ are _ a prinxe, even though you were born a common."

Asmarath's eyes were warm, their hand gently pulling away from Adulationis' chin. He almost leaned after it, cheeks flushing as he realized and stood up straighter instead. He opened his mouth to speak, but another voice interrupted before he could.

"Um… Excuse me, Prinxe Asmarath? A-and Prince Adulationis," a familiar voice spoke up, and he turned to face Rerren, the common hustler thief who had been distracting him earlier. They looked guilty, hugging their arms to their chest. They weren't meeting either of the prinxes' gazes. "Sorry for interrupting. I just wanted to apologize for what Marni and I did. We had no idea we were targeting  _ you _ , Prince Adulationis."

"It's alright," Adulationis answered, almost automatically. The sheer change of attitude from Rerren almost made him believe he was looking at a different person. It was though all the confidence Rerren had before had been stolen away. It was more than a bit startling. Their whole attitude had changed just because they knew who he was. "Um, Rerren, right?" 

"Yeah, that's me." Rerren looked up, apparently flustered Adulationis had remembered their name. "I um, also wanted to say sorry for overhearing what you were telling Prince Adulationis, Prinxe Asmarath," they continued, the guilt in their voice laced with embarrassment. "I won't tell anyone if you'd rather me not."

"It's fine, Rerren. Like I told Prince Adulationis, I don't hide it," Asmarath answered brightly, and as Adulationis watched, Rerren's mouth twitched up into a smile. When Asmarath next spoke, however, their voice was almost laced with mischief. "By the way, if you and Marni ever needed to drop by the Lust Castle for anything, I'll personally make sure you'll be welcomed with open arms."

Rerren looked startled, a light purple flush tinting their freckled cheeks. But then, they smiled, and it might have been the biggest smile Adulationis had ever seen.

"Thank you, Prinxe Asmarath," they said, and they sounded so relieved, laughing with disbelief, that Adulationis finally understood why Asmarath was said to be the most popular prinxe in the entirety of Cirxia. Rerren took a step forward, hesitated, then settled for a half bow before turning and scampering off without another word.

Adulationis watched the thief go, a strange tangle of feelings in his stomach that only multiplied when Asmarath looked down at him and smiled. The Prinxe of Lust offered their arm again, and with a start, he realized what exactly those feelings were.

"Shall we?" Asmarath asked, grinning as he took their arm and smiled back up at them.

Apprehension. Confidence. Empowerment.

Hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Asmarath ([ref](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/528857657587793930/767695152721428490/asmarath_by_bun-2.png), [artist credit](https://bung0us.tumblr.com/)) is genderfluid! She doesn't care what pronouns you use for them, as long as he knows you're referring to her. I tend to switch up his pronouns as I use them, but they'll generally stick to a specific set for ease. In this, they're using "Prinxe" and "They/Them", but expect to see her using different titles and pronouns as he appears in this book uwo.
> 
> -Adulationis ([ref](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/528857657587793930/767695068525363200/adulationis_pride_by_marti.jpg), [artist credit](https://mutantalientrash.tumblr.com/)) is trans! He came out publicly to Cirxia sometime during 9.960 by VMV years, so this fic happens _after_ that. (He was crowned the ruler of the Pride Circle before he came out, so... his deadname is actually well known throughout Cirxia. He may not be popular, but any demon with any semblance of dignity can and will punch a transphobe if they deadname him. Also worth noting the God of Cirxia is extremely non-binary and ate gender for breakfast, so being trans in Cirxia is a _lot_ more accepted than it is in our world).
> 
> -Rerren ([ref](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/649011646169350144/714988969393258647/17569-rerren_common-lust_demiboy.png), [picrew credit](https://picrew.me/image_maker/17569)) and Marni ([ref](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/649011646169350144/714988824995823657/17569-marni_common-lust_lesbian.png), [picrew credit](https://picrew.me/image_maker/17569)) are two common lust demons who hustle people and steal whatever they can. Rerren's a pansexual demiboy and Marni's a cis lesbian femme fatale. I only made them for this fic but then I got super attached and now they're fleshed out characters.
> 
> -Adulationis is a common pride demon, and Asmarath is the demon Prinxe of Lust. While Adulationis may not be a prinxe by class, he _is_ a prinxe by _power_. It's not particularly the traditional way to do things in Cirxia, but the Pride Circle has no demon prinxes by class anymore.
> 
> -Cirxia swears heavily by the demon classes, so Adulationis being a common on the throne of the Pride Circle does not make him a popular demon at all. But he _does_ have the power to back up his claim to the throne, so there's not really much anyone can do for fear of that power.
> 
> -The original Pride Prince, Prince Lucixiur, absolutely did not mean to put a common demon on the throne. But he was fatally wounded, had no heirs, and knew that the Pride Circle, and by extension Cirxia, would deteriorate and collapse without a Prinxe of Pride. Story for another day, perhaps.
> 
> -Adulationis is the most powerful demon in Cirxia because he inherited Lucixiur's power. Not many people realize this. Adulationis himself doesn't realize this.

**Author's Note:**

> Looking for the discord?
> 
> [here's a perma-invite!](https://discord.gg/5gvh7w3)


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